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Archive (Reagan Library)

Cold War: Thatcher letter to Reagan (space cooperation) [summary declassified 1998]

Document type: Declassified documents
Venue: 10 Downing Street
Source: Reagan Library: Executive Secretariat NSC Head of State File
Editorial comments: The original letter remains classified; dated from a copy in the Thatcher MSS.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 189 words
Themes: Foreign policy (USA), Science & technology, MT contacts with Ronald Reagan

Declassified
White House Guidelines August 28, 1997
By dIb, NARA, Date 9/3/98

Confidential

March 15, 1984

MEMORANDUM FOR ROBERT C. McFARLANE
FROM: GILBERT T. NYE
SUBJECT: Prime Minister Thatcher’s Response to the President on US Space Station Participation

While on the visit to European capitals, Jim Beggs hand-carried a letter to Prime Minister Thatcher from President Reagan inviting the British to nominate an astronaut to fly on a future Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. (Tab I-C).

At Tab I-B is a reply from Prime Minister Thatcher accepting the President’s offer to fly a British astronaut on the Shuttle. She also indicates that as a result of the meetings with Jim Beggs they will be entering discussions with other interested European ministers on a “speedy” response to our offer to participate in the US Space Station program.

RECOMMENDATION
That you sign the memo to the President at Tab I forwarding a proposed CABO Channel reply to Prime Minister Thatcher.

[RMF ticked agreement.]